Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
(Publication Archives)

Friday Fax from Albany

Governor Announces Vetos – In a press conference this morning, Governor Pataki announced the items he vetoed from the budget passed by the Legislature. In total, there are 219 vetoes that amount to approximately $1.8 billion. At this point, we have not had the opportunity to do an extensive review of the vetoes; however, we do know a few preliminary items that we want to make you aware of immediately.

One item that will be of primary interest to many of you is that the Governor has vetoed all $4.5 million in Medicaid Aid to Localities. This was a $7.7 million cut in the Executive Budget, which the Legislature restored thanks to the hard work of many in the mental health community.

The Governor also chose to veto the almost $10 million in additional funding that was provided for Adult Homes and reform of this system. This includes a veto of the supplemental case management program and the Quality Improvement Incentive Program. Among the vetoes was an SSI increase to Adult Care Facilities which would also have increased the Personal Needs Allowance of residents.

As we continue to research the vetoes and determine the implications of each, we will provide you with more detail. However, due to the importance of these two items to many in our community, we wanted to make you aware of them immediately.